Holiday Gift Guide: Top Ten Books for Lovers of Beautiful Cover Art

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is a holiday gift guide themed freebie. In the past I’ve done Bookish Swag, YA, Paranormal, Dystopian, and Horror, so I decided to dedicate this post to lovers of cover art. If you are like me, you may judge a book by its beautiful cover. Sometimes it turns out to be a good bet. Other times… not so much. While I’ve read most of the books below, there are a couple I haven’t. Yet, time and again they catch my attention, and make me stop in my tracks whenever I see them. So without further ado, here’s my “Top Ten Books for Lovers of Beautiful Cover Art.”

1.) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

While I’m no longer a fan of these novels, you have to admit that they have some beautifully understated covers. The first novel in the series, Twilight, is just a photo of a young girl’s hand offering someone an apple. The image is of innocence, purity, and trust. Who is offering the apple, and who are they offering it to? You don’t know until you pick up the novel and read the synopsis. That’s what drew me to these books long before they became super popular.

2.) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I first saw this novel in the bookstore when it was first released in paperback, before being adapted into a film. Something about the woman’s face drew me to the book. I kept wondering what her story was about, and what she was thinking. Though I’d heard of geishas, I didn’t really know much about them. The cover intrigued me enough to pick up a novel by an author I’ve never read before, and get a glimpse into this mysterious woman’s life.

3.) The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

I’m not going to lie. What made me buy this book was the beautiful dress on the cover, and the fact I could get the entire series for s really good deal. While I enjoyed most of the series, I won’t claim it to be one of my favs. In fact, I probably wouldn’t think to recommend it off the bat if someone asked me to suggest a historical fiction novel. However, I can’t deny that the covers are stunning.

4.) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I’ve never read this novel, but I’ve heard many great things about it. However, every time I see the cover I think about buying it. It’s very understated, but that’s what catches my attention again and again. Something about the woman captivates me. Even though I’ve been planning on reading it for years, don’t give up on me yet! One day, this baby will be mine 🙂

5.) Watchmen by Alan Moore

I’ve been a fan of this comic for years, and still lament the film adapted from it. While it was visually stunning, I think the skimpy outfits, and midair sex scenes overshadowed the point of the story. Though simple, the cover leaves readers wondering about the story within. What is that on the cover, and why is it bleeding? I can’t tell you as that’s part of the fun, but things aren’t always what they seem, and before you even open a page you’ll know this is not your average story.

6.) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Here’s another novel I haven’t read, but have been meaning to. I hear it’s pretty deep. Many people seem to like it, and it’s on a lot of “Best of…” lists. So I hope to read it one day. However, though I haven’t read it, the title and the cover art get you thinking before you even crack the spine.

7.) The Selection by Kiera Cass

I bought this novel ages ago during an iBooks “First in a Series Sale.” Liked the cover, saw it around, and read some positive reviews. Still haven’t read it. Why? Because for every positive review I read, someone else told me it’s not all that. I’ve decided to hold off buying (remind me of this when I “forget”!) any new books until I’ve read all of the books I’ve bought over the past 2 years that still remain unread on my eReader and shelves. So hopefully this one will go from “Want to Read” to “Read.”

8.) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I first saw this book in the book store on an outing to buy something else. I loved the cover, the synopsis sounded interesting, and so I took a chance. I believe I liked it, but sadly I can’t remember anything about it. However, hearing all the praise about it has made me contemplate reading it again to see what all the buzz is about.

9.) Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is another book I picked up because the cover made me do a double-take. A mechanical leg in a high-heeled shoe! “What’s that about?” I wondered. So of course I took a chance, and I’m glad I did. The Lunar Chronicles is now one of my favorite series, and while Winter might be an even better cover than Cinder, I had to give a shout-out to the novel that started my love for Marissa Meyer and her writing.

10.) Splintered by A.G. Howard

Finally, I’ll complete this list with yet another book I picked up on a whim because of the amazingly beautiful cover art. Each and every cover in this series is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. In fact, this series is probably in my “Top 5 Series with Beautiful Covers” list should I ever create one. Not only are all the covers amazing, but they all complement each other, and look wonderful lined up on a shelf. The covers are as whimsical as the story within, and make it hard for me to move them off my shelves to make room for new books.

Greta list! I love the covers for The Selection and The Lunar Chronicles! I think When We Collided and The Raven Boys have gorgeous covers, too. <3 Also, can I just say that I love the snow falling on your site?!Adalyn recently posted…Five Shops For the YA Lover in Your Life

Aren’t those covers beautiful? When We Collided is also a great cover. I do a double take every time I walk by it. I can’t believe I forgot about that! I love The Raven Boys, but I think the cover for Blue Lily, Lily Blue is my favorite cover in the series. Thanks for stopping by!